Trump Brothers Invest in Drone Startup

0:00On March 9, Donald Trump's sons, Don Jr. and Eric, are investing in powerists, a new Florida drone startup chasing Pentagon contracts. The company formed in 2025 and is merging with a public golf firm to hit the NASDAQ. They're eyeing part of the Pentagon's $1.1 billion drone dominance program to build up America's own drone fleet. This push comes as the US faces cheap enemy drones from Iran, costing just $25,000 each, while American missiles to stop them. Run up to $13 million a piece. The Trump administration called foreign drones a security risk last December and banned them. Spotlighting homegrown options like power ruse, which handles surveillance, resupply, and even wildfire fighting. Online, the news sparked quick backlash from critics who say the brothers shouldn't profit from taxpayer-funded defense deals tied to their fathers, policies, left-leaning voices called it morally wrong and questioned

1:00its legality, while Eric Trump shot back that drones beat investing in newspapers. The brothers have dipped deeper into drones before. Eric helped take an Israeli firm public via merger this February and Don Jr. joined the board of unusual machines last year. That company already snagged Pentagon work for drone parts and saw Don Jr. buy over 331,000 shares worth about 5.5 million dollars. As the US ramps up against threats from Iran and ramps into drone wars seen in Ukraine, these moves highlight the hot competition in defense tech, with startups battling for billions in contracts.